An opportunity to comment on a life very full, with room for improvement, and little time to do it.

Monday, September 1, 2008

It's Labor Day! Relax with a Rhubarb Smoothie

I am writing this post on the same day as I enjoyed a phenomenal strawberry-rhubarb pie from C in DC. I am assuming that as of this writing (although it is Labor Day and this was closer to the planned arrival date) she is otherwise engaged and will likely not be baking again soon. Around the same time as the pie made its appearance at work, she passed along a slew of rhubarb recipes, having scored a fair amount of fresh rhubarb from the store. Here is a smoothie recipe, the aforementioned pie recipe, a crumble recipe, and a tart recipe all featuring the lovely rhubarb.

Combine the rhubarb, honey, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the rhubarb is tender and has fallen apart. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Next, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, and orange juice in a blender or food processor with a steel blade. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a pitcher and chill for several hours (or serve immediately over ice).

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (from Betty Crocker)

Pastry crust for 9-inch two-crust pie

1/2 tsp corn starch

1 1/3 C sugar

1/3 C flour

1/2 tsp grated orange peel

2 cups sliced strawberries

2 cups sliced rhubarb

2 Tbsp butter, cut into fine pieces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Prepare pie crust. Place lower crust into a pie plate. Dust with the corn starch. Place 1 C each of the strawberries and rhubarb in the pie plate.

In a bowl, mix the sugar, flour, and orange peel. Sprinkle half the sugar mixture into the pie plate. Add the remaining fruit and cover with the remaining sugar mixture. Dot with the butter. Cover with the remaining pie crust, cutting several long slits into it to allow the liquids to escape (otherwise you get a runny pie). Seal and flute the edges. Cover the edges with foil. Remove foil after 35 minutes of baking.

Bake until the crust is brown and the juices are bubbling and beginning to thicken, about 40-50 minutes.

Spoon rhubarb mixture into 6-ounce ramekins (I think you need 6 of them). Spread oat mixture evenly on top of filling. Bake 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown and rhubarb is tender when pierced with a knife.

In a large bowl, mix the rhubarb, 1/2 C of sugar, cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp of orange zest. Let stand 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a small dish, combine the remaining 2 Tbsp of sugar and 1/4 tsp of orange zest.

Meanwhile, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare the pie crust and transfer to the baking sheet.

After the 25 minutes have passed, gently stir the raspberries and ginger into the rhubarb mixture. Spoon the mixture onto the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border of dough all the way around. Fold edge of dough up over the mixture, pleating as you go and fixing any cracks. Dot filling with butter. Brush dough with water and sprinkle with sugar-zest mixture over dough and filling.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Bake 25 to 30 minutes longer, until crust is brown and filling is bubbly. Let cool on baking sheet on a wire rack for 15 minutes. With a spatula, very carefully slide the tart onto the wire rack to cool completely.